About this Exhibition

Erarta Galleries London is pleased to present Still Lives the first solo show of Irina Starkova in the UK. Still Lives is the culmination of months of study of ornithological and entomological specimens after being granted access to the archives of the Natural History Museum and Institute of Tropical Medicine in London. Starkova decided to put these detailed, analytical drawings at the centre of the project, examining how these creatures have shaped the human world both physically and spiritually.

Birds and insects preserve well – their feathers and gentle wings remain beautifully intact, though lifeless. Starkova wanted to convey these ephemeral moments of stillness, usually only captured by the most skillful of wildlife photographers, through various mediums present in the exhibition.

Irina Starkova’s search for the understanding of this chapter of existence led her to push the boundaries of her interest in nature photography. There is a fascinating dichotomy in the specimens she was able to view. Majestic Golden Eagles, rainbow-like parrots and gentle butterflies, all seemingly alive, yet frozen in a momentary beauty - notions of the transient nature of time and manifested conclusion of death become intertwined, brought to life by the antique art of taxidermy.

Born in Moscow, 1987, Irina currently resides between London and Monaco. From an early age, Irina became interested in photography and the art of processing and developing film. Her oil on canvas work is largely figurative, with inspiration from Chuck Close and Lucian Freud. Her more recent series’ have taken on a more Pop-Art edge, largely inspired by her friend Grayson Perry, which has seen her experiment with spray painting techniques. For the ‘Still Lives’ exhibition at Erarta Galleries London, she has created a series of detailed oil paintings which fuse her love of portrait painting and nature, as well as allowing her to expand into a new area of art, creating a selection of limited edition giclée prints especially for the exhibition.